The St. Croix Valley Syttende Mai Society will host a banquet May 17 to observe Norway’s Constitution Day.
“Syttende Mai” is Norwegian for “17th of May,” the day in 1814 the Norwegian Constitution was adopted, said Roger Bosmoe, president of the society.
The holiday is “often thought of as Norway’s Fourth of July,” Bosmoe said. “Comparing it to our Independence Day is appropriate because Norway’s Constitution was patterned after the American Constitution.”
The event will be at the Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center in Stillwater. Social hour starts at 5 p.m.; dinner at 6 p.m.
Scandinavian historian Race Fisher, who has a degree in history and Nordic studies from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and a master’s degree in history from Illinois State University, will be the featured speaker. In his talk, “Syttende Mai 1945,” he will discuss the history of Syttende Mai and how the celebration was impacted by the Nazi occupation of Norway, Bosmoe said.
Tickets are $30. Reservations, which must be made by Sunday, May 14, are required; contact Bosmoe at 651-439-9423 or [email protected].
